In This Life And The Next ✔️

Chapter 17: Stay the Hell Away From Me

ARI

After climbing, what felt like a billion steps, we came up to a red glossy door.

Aaron opened it and I swear, my jaw dropped to the floor.

The biggest living room with the most beautiful looking couches stared back at me. Two sets of stairs were on both sides of the room that led upstairs. I gasped at the ceiling which was at least a couple of hundred feet high.

What I didn't notice were the twenty something people staring back at me. I blushed a tomato red and hid behind Aaron who laughed at my reaction.

He moved out of the way and I blocked everyone out by putting my hand on my forehead.

"Everyone, this is Ariana Peterson. Ariana Peterson, this is everyone." Aaron pointed behind his back.

I peaked through my hand to see that everyone was still staring at me. Many of them actually looked tense and kept smelling the air with confused faces for some reason.

"Ari! Over here!" I heard Anna's voice call me over.

"Oh thank the lord Jesus!" I said out loud when I spotted Ashley and Jen putting decorations up on the left staircase of the living room. Nate looked at me but gave me a smile and I actually smiled back. He watched intently over Jen as she put up decorations but Jen seemed to be oblivious to it or she was ignoring him.

Does he like her?

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!" I hugged her and jumped up and down, excited for her.

"Thanks!"

Aaron joined our hug and squealed like a little girl. We all laughed at his ridiculousness.

I took off my backpack and tucked it under the stairs. "Okay, so what am I doing here!"

I regretted asking because I was thrown a bunch of streamers and forced up a ladder.

"Man." I grumbled to myself.

The hairs on my neck stood up and I looked across the room to see Alex staring up at me. My heart sped up at the sight of him. He was drinking a Capri Sun and I think looking at my butt. I wasn't sure until he looked up into my eyes.

He was looking at my butt! I felt uncomfortable and went to climb down the ladder.

I don't know how I missed a step from the ladder. I gasped and then felt nothing but air for a second until I hit the hard wood floor.

"Ari!" Aaron shouted and leaped over the stairs to help me.

Pain shot through my shoulder and I instantly knew I dislocated it.

I had to set it back before it healed itself into the position it was in now.

I looked around the room to see everyone looking at me. I can't fix it here. Shit!

Alex who was at least 30 feet away was now standing 2 feet away from me with a concerned look on his face. His arms were extended forward like he was going to catch something. He relaxed his arms, pinning them to his sides.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the doctor! How many fingers am I holding up?!" Aaron shoved three fingers into my face.

"I'm okay!" He helped me up by using my good arm. I tucked my bad arm under my good arm so it looked like I was crossing my arms.